Encouraging Women to Walk Deeper with God

Love isn’t always convenient, is it? A very moving and victorious testimony this morning by our local Christian DJ, Dawn O’Brien, moved me to ponder that very thought this afternoon.

“Sometimes doing what’s right is not always convenient, but you have to do it anyway,” were the words I recall Marilyn mentioning several years ago. She and her husband, Jesse, had put a hold of sorts on their schedule for the last few weeks of my pregnancy with our youngest son, the sweet little guy captured in the picture above. My husband was deployed at the time, and Marilyn had promised to “be there” with me at delivery time in lieu of Tony’s absence. Indeed, she and Jesse stayed firm to their word as they arrived at the hospital shortly after my “I think I might be in labor” call.

It wasn’t necessarily convenient for both of them to stay with me all evening in the hospital as my body tried to decide if it was actually going to birth a child or not. It likely wasn’t convenient for Jesse to go home without his loving wife, leaving Marilyn to stay with me through the night as she attempted to sleep in an “ultra-comfy”, upright, hospital chair. In addition, it likely wasn’t convenient the next afternoon as Marilyn followed me into the OR, watching as the doctor performed a C-Section (my body never did go into labor) and pulled a miracle from my womb.

But then again, love isn’t always convenient.

That sweet woman and her amazing husband showed me the real hand of love through their real-life example. They easily could have said, “We’re too busy,” or, “Can you ask someone else?” But they didn’t. They allowed their schedules to be rearranged because of love. (And, let me put in a little plug for the amazing folks back on the home front that stayed with our other two youngsters during this endeavor. They certainly set convenience aside as well!)

Today I had to ask myself, “Do I allow my schedule to be rearranged because of love?”

Our Lord gave a life-changing example of inconvenient love years ago in His ministry and, ultimately, on the cross. I have to believe the walk to and experience on the cross wasn’t convenient. I have to believe the cross was out of His comfort zone. I have to believe He likely preferred to be elsewhere, yet He was inconvenienced for the sake of love…and it impacted the lives of many.

Am I willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of love so that “Jesus” might be poured out on others? Am I willing to be inconvenienced so He can make a difference in others’ lives for His purposes? Do I humbly submit my will to Him, knowing His plan is not seemingly as convenient as my flesh’s preference? Do I set aside “me”, asking the Lord what His good and perfect will is? Do I?

Honestly, I’m not certain my meter would run on high in this category, but my heart runs full throttle for the desire to be like Jesus, so it might be time for a schedule adjustment. It impacted me greatly to realize that had others been inconvenienced for the sake of love, Dawn, the DJ mentioned earlier, might have escaped the subsequent grip of abandonment, sexual abuse, and betrayal. It impacts me, even while writing this, as I ponder the possibilities of changed lives He has in store when I humble myself to my Lord. It impacts me greatly when I think what an army of us could do through Christ as we allow ourselves to be inconvenienced for the sake of love.

How about it? Are you ready, my friend, to come with me as we pray and submit ourselves to the Lord? Would you like to come alongside me as we willingly humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and allow Him to inconvenience us for the sake of love? Are you ready for Him to make a difference in others’ lives through you? I am.

Father,

We come to You today, humbled and ready to be inconvenienced. Thank You, Jesus, for Your inconvenience years ago on the cross. We lay our will down, asking You to forgive our selfishness of the past. Lord, have Your good and perfect will in our lives as Your love overcomes darkness and makes a difference in others’ lives. Show us how to rearrange our schedules so that You might be glorified. Show us where to step and where to go so that Your love is spread like a beautiful, plumeria-style fragrance. We love You, Lord, and wait in Your presence. We desire to hear You clearly as we simply “go and do.”

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you prayed this prayer, I’d love to hear from you and so would many others that follow this blog. We can band together, pray for each other, and encourage one another. Throw a comment on the blog, email me, or feel free to facebook me. The love testimonies of inconvenience will be amazing!

PS….If you would like to hear Dawn’s testimony (all glory to God!), try here:

http://www.hopechapel-westoahu.org/

It wasn’t up at the time of this writing, but it’s well worth the wait and will likely be posted to the web in the next day or two.